partickthedog

What about Big Jim Slaven Bilic? He would have the appetite for the job.

We bossed the last 40 minutes!

I was thinking of the TV gardening presenter Monty Don (but sadly Wiki tells me that his first name is Montagu, not Montgomery). You were perhaps thinking of the child star of Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin?? PS. Just occurred to me that would be a great name for a Scottish footballer. I can hear the shouts of "Get Culkin in there!".

Apologies to Ryan Jack for hijacking or hiryaning his thread but the only thing interesting about him is that his name is the wrong way round. It should be Jack Ryan. Here is my attempt at a Thistle team with the names the wrong way round (in an approximate 4-4-2 formation and featuring a father and son front line): Arthur Kenny Elliott Christie Martin Brian Montgomery Ray Archibald Alan Murray Steven Craig Albert Edward Ryan Jacob Quinton Craig Joseph Craig Steven By the way did you know that League Cup winning hero Bobby Lawrie reversed his name, learned to speak French and enjoyed a late flowering in his career as Newcastle winger Laurent Robert.

Next signing Patrice Evra

He is nothing special. Ryan Jack of all trades and master of none.

How do we crush them like the Beatles? Maybe adopt Red & Yellow Submarine tactics. Lie low beneath the surface and then up periscope and harpoon them with Miles Storey.

Have to give this a like for the wonderful use of (mixed) metaphor, irony and just about every other conceivable type of figure of speech. The use of Machines rather than McInnes to describe Orcs being inexorably and mindlessly called back to their place of origin is classic!

I can recall 3 relatively recent 2-1 wins at McDiarmid. Our scorers Miller & Lawless Booth & Lawless Doolan & Osman Finding it hard to remember both teams scoring at Firhill in a league match so will need TJR's help here. There was a crazy 4-4 cup match that we lost on penalties.

Storey has been excellent and Cerny has made at least 2 really good saves. Team as a whole not particularly fluent so may be difficult to get that second goal to ward off a nervy finish. Maybe Erskine on for Spittal soon. Can see Storey and Erskine being effective on the break if St Johnstone commit more players forward.

As he would be following in the footsteps of Stevie Lawless as left wing back would this be the greatest ever height disparity between two Thistle players fielded in the same position in consecutive games? TJR??

When Miles was at Inverness he had plenty of time to study how to put the ball through Scott Fox at County.

You have to go back one further stage to appreciate the intelligence and artfulness behind this goal. Miles Storey appears to kick the ball aimlessly up the left wing and sets out in fruitless pursuit. Jack Hendry easily stays ahead in the foot race but is drawn back towards his own goal line. Tired out by having to run so fast late in the game he is slow to get back forward and by the time he does Doolan is arrowing behind him to meet Turnbull's perfectly weighted pass and Storey now materialises in the centre of the 6 yard box to slot home. The gift of prophecy!

I suspect that you were at the southerly end of the JHS. The handball was very clear from the North Stand as the Dundee player was facing us as he batted the ball down with his hand (a bit like a tennis player preparing to serve) to take possession and start the attack. However, his body may have obscured this from your vantage point. So perhaps the referee had some excuse, but if the JHS side linesman had been up with play, he should surely have seen this, failing which the other linesman, the fourth official, Derek Ferguson (on BBC commentary), Neil Doncaster, Nicola Sturgeon or Teresa May should have done something about it!

Yes, definitely. There were 2 specific instances which provoked the chanting directed at the referee. One was a very clear deliberate handball by Dundee in the first half, which it seemed impossible for the referee and both assistants to miss. This led to an attack that almost resulted in a goal for Dundee. I cannot remember the details of the second instance.

Was meaning Motherwell 3 seasons ago when Banzo played fullback and hauled down Ainsworth for their winning penalty.

Dundee will be haunted by the ghost of Banzo.

Last week leading up to the Kilmarnock game I had a team in my head which I kept meaning to post on the forum, but never quite got the chance. Archie chose a different team and formation, but since then general forum mood seems to be swinging in the same direction as much of what I was thinking. So I am going to actually name my team this time and it is identical to last week's putative selection (a sort of 3-4-2-1 which could solidify into a 5-4-1 when needed): GK-Cerny. RWB-McGinn. Has to play on his natural side. Has tried gamely on the left, but is considerably less effective there. Offers far more than Nitriansky. RCB-Keown, I would not argue if Devine were preferred, and will leave that call to Archie. SWP-Barton. So much better here than lost in the midfield engine room. Carrying the ball out of defence, seeing the game clearly and making passes and runs both forward and to the sides. LCB-Turnbull. Our best and most cultured defender, and could at times switch things by coming forward instead of or in combination with Barton. Has to start. LWB-Bannigan. Harshly condemned for one poor performance v Motherwell. No worries with good defender like Turnbull behind. Knows the route to goal and can cut in rather than always go wide. CDM-McCarthy. Now is the time for him to make the step up. Has confidence and ability in spades, and a wee bit of dig too. I think he will do well. CDM-Edwards. Puts so much in all over the park and never hides. Just needs that clinical edge, so as not to waste his excellent work. Energy, spirit and driving force. Can be an inspiration. RAM-Spittal. Creative in open and set play. Always likely to score. I see the wing backs giving width and the attacking mids being more central and combining to attack the box and/or win free kicks. LAM-Erskine. Automatic selection and I am sensing that this could be one of his special days. However, Archie must be quick to change to Lawless or even Sammon if it is not working. CF-Doolan. Talismanic and has to be the best chance of a goal. My only concern is lack of pace in the team and therefore Storey could get the nod or be a relatively early replacement. My other positional change which I did mention last week and I believe bears repeating is a change of ends. In the decisive phase of the game, i.e. the latter part of the second half, the team should be feeding off the positive energy of the North Stand rather than being drained by its collective nervousness. A small shift in the mood music, but I think it could bring the freshness and vitality that we are all desperately craving.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creep in at this petty pace, but then we up the tempo and horse Dundee.

The Tempest will soon blow over

I see that you have gone for the dull "big teams beating the wee teams" approach! Probably very sensible but not particularly exciting. Here's hoping for a few upset apple carts!

Staying true to my principles and going for 7 12 28 32 If I am going out, I am going to go out in a blaze of highland glory. Claymores at the ready and...charge!!!

Midfield absolutely packed so we cannot find room there. This is the problem with not having natural wide players on their favoured side. If we could bring on a fit Muzzy and Booth what a difference it would make.

Quite aggressive. 4 forward thinking players.

Is this official team news? What is the team and subs?